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(No Model.)

U. H. COX. SAND BOX FOB ELECTRIC OR OTHER CARS- a C wi lf-ili MTNESEES 1% 9M.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

CHARLES II. COX, OF IIAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO S. PORTER GARDNER, OF SAME PLACE.

SAND-BOX FOR ELECTRIC OR OTHER CARS.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,712, dated March 17, 1896.

Application filed December 17,1895. Serial No. 572 472. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. COX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in SQ-HCl'BOXQS for Electric or other Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The in vention relates to a sand-box adapted to be carried or supported in front of the dasher of the car, and to be easilydetachable or removable therefrom, and which is provided with means for releasing the sand thererepresentinga part of a dasher and the sand-' box attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the front end of a car, showing the sand-box attached to the dasher, the casin g of the sandbox being broken out near the top to show the agitator. Fig. 3 is a view in plan, showing a portion of the dasher and the top of the sand-box. Fig. 4' is a View in side elevation, enlarged, of the sand-box, aportion of the casing thereof near the top and bottom being removed. Fig. 5 is a view in horizontal section upon the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. at and in plan of parts below the same; and Fig. 6 is also a view in horizontal section upon dotted lines 6 6 of Fig. 4, and plan to represent one outlet and its closing-valve.

A represents the dasherot' an electric or other car; a, its top rail.

13 is the sand-box. It is provided upon its back side at the top with hooks b b, which hook upon the rail a, forming means by which the sand-box is suspended from the. rail and attached to the car, and by which it may be easily removable. The be also has the butfers b at the upper end, which are parts of the hooks, and U at its lower end, which serve to hold the box slightly removed from the front of the dashcr, so that it shall not wear the paint from the dasher, and also more especially to provide room for the lever O, to which reference will be hereinafter made. The box is preferably made with a wooden back, metal sides Z) and front 12 in one piece, and a wooden or metal bottom Z) and top If. The top has a hole b through which the sand is introduced, and whichis closed by a cover Z)". The bottom has the outlets D which open into the upper part or section (Z of the chute D. I prefer that there be two outlets, and each may extend upon both sides of the shafts c c,as represented in Fig. 6. They are adapted to be closed by the valves E E", (see Figs. 4, 5 and 6,) the valves being mounted respectively upon the shafts e 6'. These shafts extend upward through the box and have bearings in the top and bottom thereof, and one of them, the shaft 6, extends through the top and carries above the top the horizontal operatinglever E by which the shafts are partially turned, the shaft 6 being connected with the shaft 6 by the arms 6 extending from each, and a connecting-link 2 (See Fig. 5.)

Upon the movement of the lever E in one direction, the outlets are opened and sand is permitted to escape from both outlets, and upon the movement of the lever in the reverse direction the outlets are closed, the valves being moved over them. The shaft-s e 6" also carry arms or blades 6", (see Figs. 2, 4, and 5,) and these blades or arms being moved in the sand as the shafts are moved to uncover and cover the outlets break it up or disintegrate it or keep it in a loose condition, so that it will always feed freely through the outlets, and this is of value, as it permits sand of any consistency or condition to be employed-- that is, it is not necessary that the sand be dried before use. The chute D is made in three sections. The upper part (Z preferably has the straight side cl and the inclined side (Z which brings its lower end (Z to a position over or very nearly over a rail. To the lower end of this section (1 there is attached the sec-- tion d by means of pivots (Z which extend through ears on the upper part of the section (1* into the lower section (1, the upper end of the section (1* being somewhat enlarged to receive and lap upon the lower end d5 of the section d. This provides the lower end c of the section (1 with a lateral movement, by which its location may be varied at the will of the motorman or car-driver through the instrumentality of the lever O,before referred to, and which extends between the back of the sandbox and the front of the dasher to a point above the rail, and which is pivoted at c to the back of the sand-box and is connected with the section (1 by the arm 0, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) which is rigidly united to the said section, extends upwardly therefrom and is connected with thelower end to the lever C by the link 0 (See Figs. 1 and 2.) By moving the upper end of the lever the end at of the chute-section d is moved laterally to bring it over the track when upon a curve. It will be understood that this movement is only necessary in feeding sand to a curved track. As ordinarily set it would not deliver sand to a curved track unless it were so moved, as its lower end would then be out of line with the curve; but by means of the lever the end can be moved quickly to its new position and held there while upon the curve and then returned again to its normal position. There is attached to this lower movable end d" of the chute a section (1 which is open at (1 is pivoted at d and which is inclined in relation to the section (1", and acts to receive the sand from said section and to break the force of its fall and direct it in a compact stream upon the rail. It is shaped very much like a scoop, and it is held in place by friction, so that its angle may be somewhat changed and it can be folded upwardly against or upon section (1" when not in use.

The sand-box is placed preferably upon the motormans left, and its operating-levers namely, the lever E and the lever Oare thus brought in close relation with the lever of the electric controller.

In use the movement of the lever E in one direction moves the valves from over the outlets E and permits sand to escape, and its movement in the reverse direction closes said outlets. The same movement operates both valves and also the agitator or fingers 8 therefore at the same time breaking up and agitating the sand. Upon the movement of the lever O the position of the lower end of the chute is caused to be changed. to any desired extent for the purposes above named.

It will be seen that all the parts of the box, including its operating devices, are connected together and are detachable together from the car, and that they are thus easily removed from one car to another or from one end of the car to the other. It will also be noticed that the box is located where it can be easily filled and takes no valuable car-space; also, that it can be readily detached at any time and need not be applied to the car, excepting in wet or slippery weather. I prefer that the fingers, blades, or agitators be arranged spi rally upon the shafts.

Having thus fully described my invention. I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A sand-box having an outlet and means for closing it, the section (1 extending from the sand-box and open at its lower end, and

the movable section (1" of the chute pivoted at its upper end to the section (Z and means for moving it laterally, substantially as described.

2. A sand-box having an outlet, and means for closing it, a movable member (1 of a chute and means for operating it and an inclined end (1 substantially as described.

3. A sand-box havinga chute and an open end (1 attached to the chute in a manner to permit its angle to be varied, substantially as described.

, 4. A sand-box having a chute and an end d open upon its top and connected with the chute in a manner to permit it to be turned upward against the same, substantially as described.

5. A sand-box having the movable chutesection (1 and means for moving the same. comprising the arm 0 and lever C pivoted to the back of the sand-box and connected with the arm 0 by the link 0 substantially as described.

6. A sand-box having the buffers 1), b and the movable chute-section, and the lever C. connected at its lower end with the movable chute-section and pivoted to the back of the box inside the outer surface of the buffers, as and for the purposes described.

7. A sand-box having the two outlets 0 their respective valves, E, E, the shafts e, e the shaft 6 being connected with the shaft 5. and being operated therefrom, and means for turning forward and backward shaft 6.

S. A sand-box having the outlets b in its bottom, the valves E, E therefor, shafts e, shaft 6 being connected to shaft 6 to be operated thereby, the agitators 6 carried by said shafts, and means for operating shaft 6.

9. A sand-box having the outlets b and the valves E E, and means for simultaneously operating them, and the section (Z of the sand-chute, into which both outlets 11 open. as and for the purposes described.

10. A detachable sand-box having in its bottom an outlet, and means for opening and closing the same, an agitator for breaking up and loosening the sand in the box, a chutesection below the bottom of the box, formed with the straight sides 61 and the inclined sides (P, the laterally-movable chute-section d pivoted to the lower end of the section ii. and means for moving it laterally and the en d d pivoted to the lower end of the section and adapted to extend backwardly there from, as and for the purposes specified.

CHARLES ll. COX.

In presence of M. A. PINGREE, GEORGE H. W. HAYES. 

